Stripped
by Kendra Luehr
Summary: When their wits cross, Seth and Kate decide to play strip poker to settle the score.


"Stripped"

"Where were you?"

Kate shrugged her shoulders in an indifferent lift, frowning at Seth as she closed the door behind her. "Does it really matter?" she asked. "I'm an adult. I don't need _you_ to dictate where I can and cannot go."

Seth scowled. He hated the way her sweet, wispy voice always carried such venom. "It's important that we don't get separated for too long. You know that."

Slinging her rucksack off her shoulder, Kate approached him at the small hotel table and glanced at the surface. "What are you doing?"

"What's it _look_ like I'm doing? I'm playing a game of cards."

"By _yourself?"_

"It's called Solitaire, genius."

Pursing her lips, Kate pulled up a chair and had a seat in front of him. "Why not Poker?"

"I think you must've missed the part where I'm playing _alone."_

"Alright, well then can I play too? I've played Poker once or twice."

Seth huffed.

"What? You don't believe me?" Resting her arms on the table, Kate said, "There're a lot of things a preacher's daughter isn't expected to know, but I can assure you that most in my position _do,_ in fact, strive to live outside of that cliché. So in other words, I'm not some pure Virgin Mary."

Seth still appeared unimpressed.

With a roll of her eyes, Kate crossed her arms. "Alright, fine, how's this? We'll make it interesting. We'll place bets."

"You mean with the money that _I_ scored us?" Seth asked. "I don't think so, princess."

"Okay, fine! No money."

"Then what are we talking here?"

Kate waited a beat, then tried to appear unruffled as she offered, "Strip poker, perhaps?"

Seth finally looked up from his cards, a sly, shit-eating grin tugging at his lips that she immediately wanted to wipe away. "Well, well, well," he said, "it looks like you really _are_ trying to step out of 'daddy dearest's' shadow. I hope you know you're going to end up quite _chilly_ by the time we're through."

Kate's smile was tight-lipped. "Challenge accepted."

"Alright, then what form of Poker should we play?"

"Black Jack."

"Fair enough." Beginning to deal the cards, Seth watched her with a pleased, lopsided smile as Kate's face remained passive and cold. With their cards on the table, he announced, "I'll be dealer this round. What'll your move be, hmm?"

Looking at her cards, Kate chewed her lip. She had a two and a four, so she sighed and instructed, "Hit me."

Seth grinned and laid down another card. That grin faded, however, when he spotted the Ace.

"That's 17," Kate smugly announced. "I think I'll stay."

"Yeah, well we'll see how smug you are in a sec," Seth grumbled. His face-up card was a Jack, and when he moved to flip the downside one, he cursed under his breath when he spotted the five.

Kate's hands clapped together with glee. "15 versus 17 – looks like I win this round! Off with your clothes!"

"Hmph, well _someone's_ eager."

"Only for your humiliation," she snapped back.

Still appearing overly satisfied with himself, Seth rose from his chair and peeled off his wife-beater. Despite her blank expression, Kate wouldn't delude herself into not finding the view pleasing. Her brief dating experience had been with tall, lean, and gangly boys – Seth was a man. The sight of his broad shoulders alone was enough to make her sit on her hands. _Think good, Christian thoughts, Kate._

"See something you like?"

She laughed, perfect and quick with the finesse of an actress. "Yeah, I do, actually: your _defeat."_

Seth sneered. "We'll see about that. We've only just begun, you know."

"True enough – I'll deal next," Kate agreed, pulling the cards her way. After doling out their pairs, she leaned forward on her elbows and smiled sweetly (albeit mockingly). "Your move."

Unamused by her sudden confidence, Seth looked down at his cards and cleared his throat. "I, uh…hit me."

"With _pleasure."_

"Get me a new _card."_

Trying not to giggle, Kate followed through with his request and watched him intently.

A look of concentration knit at Seth's brows, and he analyzed his hand carefully. He had a pair of twos and a four. "Um…hit me again." Before Kate could speak, he jerked a finger at her and warned, "If you try that stupid joke on me _one_ more time…"

Biting her lip to hide her grin, Kate gave an innocent lift of her shoulders and handed him another card. When Seth read the five, he banged his fist against the tabletop in frustration.

"Oh c'mon, it's not a definitive loss!" she cajoled. But after flipping her own card and discovering that she had a much higher hand, she grinned and amended, "…Or perhaps it is."

Seth banged his fist again. "Beginner's luck!"

"Who said I'm a beginner?" Motioning to him with her hand, Kate urged, "Remove another item, if you please."

Seth huffed and rose from the table. Muttering under his breath, he unfastened his belt before pushing his pants down around his ankles. Kate crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap, trying to remain demure despite the fact she was now staring at a shirtless, pants-less ruffian. His boxers were a bit tight, so she raised her eyes in embarrassment.

"Are you _blushing,_ Virgin Mary?"

"No," Kate snapped at him. But she was. She _knew_ she was. Trying to ignore the heat in her cheeks, she pushed the deck in Seth's direction and leaned back in her chair.

Clearly pleased with himself, Seth set up the new game and awaited her move.

Peering down at her cards, Kate pursed her lips as she analyzed the Queen and the three. "I think I'll stay…"

Seth flipped his card over and slapped the tabletop. At long last, Kate's luck had finally run out. "Alright, alright!" he cheered, now drumming his hands more enthusiastically. "My 18 beats your piddly 13, princess."

"You beat me fair and square," she agreed. Now leaning over, Kate moved her hands toward the hem of her tank top – and almost _sensually,_ though she'd never admit it – before faking him out and peeling off one of her boots.

Seth scoffed. "You're cheating!"

"I am _not._ We never specified that socks and shoes couldn't be a part of the clothing at stake," she argued. Smug, Kate wiggled her shoeless toes before re-crossing her legs.

Despite Seth's disgust, he'd never admit it aloud, but in a way, he was glad that Kate hadn't removed her shirt. He found her attractive – God knows he _shouldn't_ – but he also respected her in a way that made him want to keep her untouchable. At a time he'd thought he didn't want anyone to touch her but him, but now he realized that he didn't want _anyone_ touching her, period. She'd been through more than enough. Kate didn't need his own bullshit added on top of it.

Annoyed by his musings, Seth looked away and reached for the deck of cards.

Their game continued on for several more rounds. Seth was now down to nothing but his underwear, and Kate still only had one shoe in the pile. He stared down at his losing hand, jaw tense and sullen before he glared up at her. "Do I _have_ to?"

"Are you an honorable man?" she provoked.

"Not really…"

"And?"

" _And_ I think you'll have to keep holding your breath, princess."

Eyes suddenly dark and glittering, Kate leaned in close and hissed, "I'm not a princess, Seth. I'm a _queen."_ Grabbing his pants from off the floor, she haughtily threw them in his face before heading for the back room.

When the door slammed, Seth lowered his eyes and smiled.

 **A/N:** Please keep in mind that this was my first attempt at writing these characters, so hopefully it wasn't a total disaster. I wanted to try something fun and upbeat. Though depending on this one-shot's popularity, I may or may not write a smutty little drabble that's been running through my head. We'll see. ;) Hope you enjoyed! And thanks to those who've read/reviewed!


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